Field
The described embodiments relate to techniques for communicating information in a wireless network. In particular, the described embodiments relate to techniques for inhibiting passive location tracking of an electronic device by using addresses other than a media access control (MAC) address in probe requests.
Related Art
Many electronic devices are capable of wirelessly communicating with other electronic devices. For example, these electronic devices can include a networking subsystem that implements a network interface for: a cellular network (UMTS, LTE, etc.), a wireless local area network (e.g., a wireless network such as described in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard or Bluetooth™ from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group of Kirkland, Wash.), and/or another type of wireless network.
During communication with the other electronic devices, the networking subsystem typically includes information that identifies a transmitting electronic device. For example, for communication using a communication protocol that is compatible with an IEEE 802.11 standard (such as IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n or IEEE 802.11ac), the transmitting electronic device may provide probe requests that include a media access control (MAC) address of the transmitting electronic device.
However, because the MAC address uniquely identifies the transmitting electronic device, this information can be used to track the location of the electronic device. In particular, a location-based service in a wireless network can use the transmitted MAC address to passively track the location of the transmitting electronic device. While this capability can facilitate a variety of services, it also raises privacy and security concerns, especially because a user of the transmitting electronic device may be unaware that their location is being tracked.